Mafalda

"When wider American audiences do meet Mafalda, they’ll find a girl who resembles Ernie Bushmiller’s iconic character Nancy, but whose antics are entirely her own. Mafalda reaches for outer space on a seltzer-fueled jetpack, and is open to all kinds of experience. Even if she’s unlikely to help Democrats and Republicans get along, her brand of innocent but opinionated curiosity could show the so-called adults in the room how to do better by future generations." —Benjamin P. Russell, The New York Times

"The cartoon character Mafalda, with her massive round head, sixties bob, triangular dress, and black Mary Janes, appears innocent. But this inquisitive girl-against-the-world is no ingenue—Mafalda often fires off sharp, incisive, and cynical observations about the political world around her . . . When I was growing up in Argentina in the early aughts, in the middle of yet another political crisis, Mafalda taught me how to think politically, even when I was too young for it. Children enjoy this—they appreciate it when you don’t underestimate their intelligence, and rise to the occasion as a result . . . In many ways, the intergenerational battle that Mafalda represents still rings true, and is bound to educate nonconformist children in conformist times." —Julia Kornberg, The Paris Review

“Mafalda is a hero of our time.” —Umberto Eco

“Each Quino book is happiness.” —Gabriel García Márquez

“Quino’s cartoons made sense of the absurd details of life and society. Each lesson is a wink of silent laughter turned to pure philosophy, social criticism, expressive gestures, and the most refined humor. What a great companion Malfalda has been.” —Ana Merino

“I can't imagine Mafalda except as the witty girl she was, is, and always will be. Comic characters have that privilege (like Peter Pan) of never aging.” —Roberto Fontanarrosa

“The real Little Prince was Quino.” —Miguel Rep

“I don’t believe humor can alter anything. But sometimes it can be the little grain of sand that acts as a catalyst to change.” —Quino

“Mafalda was a heady mixture of irony and sweet naivete. Filled with subtle references, thinly veiled political debates, and ellipses . . . Quino’s characters formed a community of belonging—a progressive, left-wing, and rebellious sensibility that readers around the world could identify with. Quino’s Mafalda thus became a contemporary myth, a way of giving meaning to modern social existence.” —Isabella Cosse, Jacobin


"Although the concept of universalism has been sneered at for the past 40 years, evidence of its existence can be found in the pages of Mafalda." — Tom Bowden, Book Beat

"Mafalda's blend of visual and verbal wit is sublime." — Peter Dabbene, Foreword Reviews

"Mafalda’s innocent questions still sting." —Dorian Lynskey, Airmail

"Mafalda is feisty and fearless in her criticism of the Vietnam War, global politicians, her parents (her poor, poor parents), her friend Susanita’s lack of feminist ambitions, and humanity’s inability to make any kind of progress . . . a must-read for comics aficionados of any age." — Words Without Borders

"Absolutely delightful . . . the real star of the show here is Mafalda’s sensibility." —Zack Quaintance, Comics Beat

"Unfortunately, the timing is great for American readers. Mafalda’s character-defining question to her father — 'Can you explain why humanity is a disaster?' — is one I ask myself every day as I read the news. If Quino, who died in 2020, were still alive and drawing Mafalda, it seems fair to say Mafalda would be incensed." —Lily Meyer, The Dial